He Who Serves

March 24, 2013

Lesson: Luke 22: 14–30

Key Verse: Luke 22:26

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Introduction

We come to the upper room, not only to see Christ serving his disciples in the cleansing of the feet, but to see him serving his father in the giving of his body and blood for the cleansing of those whom the Father had given Him. For in Christ “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). We rejoice in this truth that we have been ransomed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19).

Jonathan Edwards wrote of the two blessings that each child of God receives because of the redemptive work of Christ: “By Christ purchasing redemption, two things are intended, his satisfaction, and his merit. All is done by the price that Christ lays down, which does two things: it pays our debt, and so it satisfies; it procures our title to happiness, and so it merits. The satisfaction of Christ is to free us from misery, and the merit of Christ is to purchase happiness for us.” When we come to the table of our Lord, remembering His death until He comes, we praise God for what we have received because of shed blood of our Savior. We rejoice and give thanks, for He has satisfied the justice of God the Father for our sins; and we praise Him for we enter into our Father’s inheritance because the righteousness of the Son has been imputed to us.

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The Passover Meal—Luke 22:14–20

The hour came for the Passover, and Jesus sat down with His twelve apostles. The Lord Jesus said to them, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Judgment and deliverance were the key ingredients of the Passover meal. The first Passover took place in the land of Egypt. The Lord commanded that “the blood shall be to you for a token upon the house where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (Ex. 12:13). The Lord previously said that he would pass through the land, saying, “I will execute judgment; I am the Lord.” That day would become a memorial for the people of God, to keep “it a feast to the Lord throughout” their generations forever and ever (12:14). In the wilderness of Sinai, the people were commanded of God to Moses: “Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at his appointed season” (Num. 9:2). It is told of Moses that “Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Heb. 11:28).

It was God who passed over his people, bringing judgment upon the wicked, and delivering his people from his wrath, by grace through faith. God “represented to their eyes his grace; and desired that they should on every succeeding year recognize what they had formerly experienced, lest it should ever depart from their memory” (John Calvin). Christ would become the Passover Lamb. He would suffer and die for the sins of his people. God’s justice would be satisfied by our sins being imputed to him, and his righteousness (merit) imputed to us. The eyes of those for whom he died would see his marvelous grace. Therefore, we are to remember why our Father in heaven has passed over our sins. “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven of malice and wickedness; but with sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:7–8).

Jesus ushers in the Kingdom of God as he takes the cup, saying, “Take this, divide it among yourselves; for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” Christ assures his disciples that the Kingdom of God would be a true reality because he would accomplish God’s salvation for his people through his death and resurrection. When he would again drink the fruit of the vine, it would be after he served his Father by going to the cross of Calvary. Thus when he ate with them after his death, they would know his words of promise are true and sincere.

Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, saying, “This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me.” He also took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” Christ fulfills the promise of the Prophet: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). Christ’s words saturate the supper, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). In the Lord’s Supper, we hear Christ calling us his friends. For He “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Gal. 1:4–5).

Discussion: What does it mean that Christ is our Passover?

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The Kingdom Table—Luke 22:24–30

What does it mean to live in the Kingdom of God? The disciples began to argue about which one of them should be the greatest in this Kingdom. Christ drew them to what the Kingdom is about by revealing the foolishness of this world. He said that the kings of this world exercise lordship over the people, “and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.” Are they really benefactors, or are they gaining riches and power by throwing crumbs of kindness to those they rule? How foolish people are to think that governments or leaders, in receiving power, are their benefactors.

The true benefactors of man are those who serve, especially those who serve the true God. Jesus said that “he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.” Christ is their example, for he was among them as one who served. Calvin saw Christ “as having rendered complete and eternal satisfaction by his one sacrifice, as the conqueror of death and the Lord of life, and because it withdraws the veil, and elevates believers to the heavenly sanctuary.” The heavenly sanctuary or Kingdom of God reveals the sacrifice of Christ in the sacrificial living of those for whom he shed His blood.

It is Christ who has appointed us “a kingdom,” as his Father had appointed unto Him. Therefore, his disciples eat and drink at his table in his Kingdom. His apostles hold a special place in his Kingdom. They would sit on “thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Calvin wrote that “By assigning to them thrones, from which they may judge the twelve tribes of Israel, he compares them to assessors, or first councilors and judges, who occupy the highest seats in the royal council. We know that the number of those who were chosen to be apostles was twelve, in order to testify that, by the agency of Christ, God purposed to collect the remnant of his people which was scattered.”

Christ collects his people into his Kingdom by virtue of his work on his cross. By grace we are saved through faith! He did not live on this earth to lord it over others, but to serve them at the point of their greatest need, salvation from sin and its consequences. Christ is our King and Savior. It is in his life that we have life, now and forever. Dr. Lloyd-Jones wrote of this life: “It is possible for us as Christian people, to receive here and now something of that life which the Lord Jesus Christ himself enjoyed. He enjoyed this eternal life while he was here on earth, and what he offers and what he gives, he tells us, is something of that life—‘that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.’”

Discussion: What does it mean to live in the Kingdom of God?

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Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2013 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.